Tape fastener



' J. STERN TAPE FASTENER Filed March 28. 1924 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

enn STERN, or new roan, n. Y.

TAPE FASTENER.

Applicationv filed March 28, 1924. Serial No. 762,522.

The invention relates in general to a metal fastener, clasp or buckle, her inafter referred to generally asa fastener, which is designed to be secured either permanently or temporarily to a flexible member, such'as ribbon, webbing, belting or other fabric, hereinafter designated generically as a tape or length of tape.

Such forms of fasteners as heretofore designed are usually made of metal stamp-h1g5 which contain one or more. eyes or slots and through which the tape must be threaded by slow manual operation. In most ofthese known forms it was further necessary that the tape be. fastened to the metal member by stitching or other fastening operation. It is a commercial requirement in the manu facture of such fasteners, especially when made up for cheap garment trade, that the fastener be secured to the tape by some inexpensive method and by means which will feature economy both in the amount of material used to provide the connection between the fastener and tape and in the labor cost required to secure the tape to the fastener.

Accordingly the primary object of the invention is to provide ametallic fastener preferably in the form of a stamping and which can be secured mechanically to the tape and thus feature a minimizing of any necessary manual labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a form of fastener of the type outlined and in which the fastener may be quickly and easily adjusted on the tape to neet variations in the desired lo'cationof the fastener when secured to the. garment or other article to which-itis,intendedto be fastened.

Broadly, l attain these objects by providing a metal blank which can be passed through a suitable stamping machine With the tape and thus secure the fastener to the tape incidental to the mechanical operation of forming the fastener. More minutely described the invention features a stamping operation which will act on a suitable blank and on a tape length fedttheretoto clamp the blank to the tape with such a refinement of clamping engagement thattlie tape can be moved in one direction through the clamping fastener and which fastener will have formed therein, in the act of stamping, means for so deflecting the clamped tape that reverse movement of. the tape through the fastener is prevented.

The present disclosure accordingly features the formation of a tape deflecting ridge disposed relative to the clamped portion of the taped length that the adjacent free end of the tape is bent laterally of the clamped portion and thus deflected or crir ped.

Incidentally the clamping portion isserrated onthe edge facing the deflecting ridge to nsr e a positive holding of the tape against. retreating movement, of the tape out of the fastener.

Various other objects and advantages. of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in. partwiil be more fully set forth in the followingparticular description of one form of mechanism embodying my inventrom and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed. i

v In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the cut blank and which maybe regarded either as a fiat blank prior to any stamping operation impression thereon or which maybe regarded as having the deflecting ridge formed thei in prior to the feeding of the blank'through the stamping machine; i

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blank showing it in an intermediate position after it is. passed through some of the stamping steps and, before the application of the length of tape: thereto; and i Figure 3 is the completed fastener and as sociatcd lengtlrof tape readyto be marketed.

In the following descript on and in the claims,parts will be identified by specifinames for convenience of expression but thev are intended to be as generic in their an plication to similar parts as ,the art will permit.

In the drawings and referring particularly to Figure 1 there is shown a one-piece blank i'jormed of thin sheet metal and which is of a "ii-shape with a main body portion 10, including a long stem 11 anda head 12. The

head is formed of a pair of lateral extensions 13 and A the inner edges of which are serrated as shown at 15. The stem at the juncture thereof with the head 12 is provided on its underside with a groove 16, the upper side of \Vllltll forms a. round top deflecting ridge 17 as shown more particularly in Figure 2. The extensions 13 and 14 are designed to be bent respectively along the lines 18 and 19 to form clam vin win 's 20 and 21. These 3 b clamping wings are bent past the position shown in Figure 2 and into the flat position shown in Figure 3 to clasp the tape 22 therebetween. The wings are so proportioned that when in the completely folded position they coact with the body portion of the fastener to form a split tubular portion 23. The serrated edges 15 are disposed below the top of the deflecting ridge 1? and are spaced from the side of the ridge a distance substantially equal to the thickness of tne tape 22. The opposite free end of the body portion is provided with a fastening means such as the hook end 2% or eye 25.

In operation it will be understood that the blank such as shown in Figure 1, or without the deflecting ridge is first acted upon by the stamping machine which folds the wings, and forms the ridge if not already formed, in the blank. The length of tape is fed between the upstanding wings and the wings folded over into engagement with the upper side of the tape. It is required that the clamping of the wings into engagement with the tape is regulated to such a nicety, that the tape is securely clamped between the body portion of the fastener and the spring jaws provided by the wings. However, the intensity of engagement is not so great that it is not possible to slide the tape through the clamp when a positive pull is exerted longitudinally on the tape. The final movement of the wings into the position shown in Figure 3 will cause the tape end to be bent upwardly of the showing or laterally of the general planeyof the tape. The projecting end of the tape will be positioned between the deflectors provided by the ridge 17 and the seaated edge of the clamping wings. When so positioned it is obvious that a pull on the free end of the tape will permit the tape to be drawn through the clamping tube when the pulling force is in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. However, should a pull be exerted on the tape in an effort to draw it in the opposite direction, the hump or bend in the tape will cause the same to be pulled into engagement with the serrated teeth and in this way movement in the reverse direction of the tape is prevented.

By means of a device of the type disclosed it is possible to form the fastener and to secure the same in adjusted position on the tape entirely by mechanical operation and without necessity of threading the tape hrough the fastener such as characterizes present p actice. The taped fastener as thus formed can. be old to the clothing manufae turers who can easily and quickly pull the tape through the fastener to any desired position best suited to their needs.

While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain nov l features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, sulstitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described. my invention, I claim:

l. A one-piece blank for forming a tape fastener comprising a substantially flatplate constituting a body portion having a pair of lateral extensions projecting integrally from opposite edges at one end forming a T-shap'ed stamping, said ex'ensions adapted to be bent over the body portion to form clamping jaws for engaging and clamping a tape between the extensions and the body portion, and said body portion provided adjacent the extensions with a transversely extending ridge projecting above the clamping aws, and adapted to turn the clamped tape away from the body portion.

2. A one-piece blank for forming a taoe fastener comprising a long body portion having a pair of lateral extensions projecting integrally from opposite edges at one 'end, said lateral extensions bent over the body portion to engage and clamp a tape between the extensions and the body portion, said body portion provided adjacent the extensions with a transversely extending ridge adapted to engage and turn the clamped tape away from the body portion, the edges of the extensions adjacent the ridge being serrated, with the serrated edges continuous and facing the portion of the tape bent by said ridge and adapted to engage said bent portion of the tape across its entire width.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a tape, a one-piece fastener adapted to be positioned at any place along the length of the tape, said fastener having a body portion engaging one side of the tape and provided on the other side with a pair of deflecting members, a deflecting ridge extending transversely of the body portion and said deflecting members having serratec edges facing the ridge and adapted to bite into the tape therebetween when the tape is moved towards said serrated edges.

4. A metal fastener including a split tubular portion open at opposite ends and adapted to contain a length of tape projecting freely from opposite ends, an extension projecting from one end of the tubular porlot:

llt

tion and having a tape engaging ridge disposed in position facing and in juxta-position to the adjacent end of the tubular portion and adapted to bend the tape laterally 5 as it extends from said end, said tubular portion and said ridge coacting to permit a freedom of movement of the tape through the fastener when drawn in one direction and acting to restrain such movement when moved in the opposite direction.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 20th day of March A. D. 1924.

JOHN STERN. 

